Bedford election results: Here’s who’s won in the race mayor
Dan Cogan is focused on finding a permanent city manager and on city development projects after winning his bid for Beford mayor.
Cogan, who was appointed as mayor in September 2023 after Michael Boyter resigned, had a substantial lead over his challengers, Eric Love and the city’s former mayor Jim Griffin, throughout Saturday night. With all vote centers reporting, he won 60.11% of votes to Griffin’s 28.27% and Love’s 11.62%, according to unofficial results.
“It’s one thing to have the trust of my fellow council members to assume the role of mayor after my predecessor stepped down, but it’s another to actually win that confidence from the voters,” Cogan said late Saturday. “I’m truly honored to earn that trust and that support.”
Joy Donovan Brandon, the owner of Joy Avenue PR, was elected to Place 2 of the City Council.
The first task for the council is to begin its city manager search, Cogan said.
“We’re going to try and recruit the most qualified city manager, that has done the job before,” Cogan said, later adding that he’s looking for someone who has led a team, is customer service oriented, who involves the council in discussions and is focused on responding to and prioritizing residents.
The second priority is work on two development projects, he said. One, the Campus West project, aims to bring town homes, a grocery store, restaurants and green space to the North Industrial Boulevard area. The second, the Bedford Commons Project, is the city’s idea for creating a downtown atmosphere in Bedford.
“It’s a place for the community to come together to meet, to create something unique — create a destination, if you will, for Bedford,” Cogan said. “To get people to get off the highway and start discovering Beford, and start spending their money here and realizing that Bedford is a wonderful place to be.”
Griffin declined an interview request late Satuday.
Love, who appeared on the ballot as “Eric ‘BIGJUICY’ Love,” — a nickname that honors his English bulldog — wasn’t conceding when reached soon after early voting totals were posted early in the night, but was happy with the results, given he’d only spent $420.20, less than his opponents whose spending was in the thousands. Both are great men, Love said.
“We just have different visions for the city, and at the end of the day, whoever win should get behind them and support them and give them any resources they request,” he said. “Am I shocked? Nah, I’m not shocked. Politics is politics, right?”
Love is a private investigator and philanthropist. He helped lead a campaign to have Joe Maldonado-Passage, better known as the Tiger King Joe Exotic, pardoned.
Cogan, a sixth-grade science and world cultures teacher at South Euless Elementary, plans to resign from his teaching job to focus on the city full time. He’ll finish the school year.
Even though he’s leaving the classroom, once you’re a teacher and an educator, you’re always a teacher and an educator, Cogan said.
The skills of being a teacher translate well to the role of mayor because you have to be able to communicate with people and educate them on decisions that are being made, he said. He’ll miss his students and being in the classroom day to day.
“But that’s OK because I’m still educating people,” Cogan said. “It’s just my classroom is a little bit bigger.”
